My Mom's Battle

Monday

Mar 4, 2013 at 5:15 PM

My family at Christmas 2012

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

For more than two months, I thought not talking about it would make it go away, but like most problems in life that is not the case. Five days before Christmas my mom learned she has bladder cancer. This was less than a month after her mother, my grandmother, died unexpectedly after a heart attack.

My mom noticed blood in her urine about a month before the official diagnosis. A battery of tests found no problems, until finally the doctors scoped her kidneys and bladder. The worry wart in me had a gut feeling that was the problem.

Doctors tell her it's Stage One, so if you have cancer that's the stage you want it to be. While it is aggressive, so is the treatment. Mom is about halfway through it, it's called BCG. After the second treatment she had a pretty bad reaction. I talked to her after today (the third round) and she seems to be doing better comparatively speaking.

As a medical reporter, I have talked to countless people facing a cancer diagnosis. Every single one of them impressed me with their drive to fight. My mom is no different. She's the strongest woman I know, facing a lifetime of health problems and heartache. If anyone can beat this disease, it's my mom.

Of course when we hear the word cancer, our first thought is death. But like I said, after talking with patients and survivors and doctors; cancer is not a death sentence any more. I'm sharing this story because I believe there is strength in numbers. The more people who pray, send good vibes, and positive energy; all the better.

No doubt this road will be a difficult one, but my mom has a loving husband of nearly 42 years by her side. She has two sons and daughters-in-law who love her, and five grand kids who adore her to the moon and back. Of course there's lots of other family and friends and now hopefully you sending your positive energy our way.

This is also the reason I've picked the American Cancer Society as my charity of choice for sales from the Kevin HunsBurger at CrossRoads Coffee Company in Carterville. The burger is $10 and two bucks goes to the ACS. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for the support.

My family at Christmas 2012
By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

For more than two months, I thought not talking about it would make it go away, but like most problems in life that is not the case. Five days before Christmas my mom learned she has bladder cancer. This was less than a month after her mother, my grandmother, died unexpectedly after a heart attack.

My mom noticed blood in her urine about a month before the official diagnosis. A battery of tests found no problems, until finally the doctors scoped her kidneys and bladder. The worry wart in me had a gut feeling that was the problem.

Doctors tell her it's Stage One, so if you have cancer that's the stage you want it to be. While it is aggressive, so is the treatment. Mom is about halfway through it, it's called BCG. After the second treatment she had a pretty bad reaction. I talked to her after today (the third round) and she seems to be doing better comparatively speaking.

As a medical reporter, I have talked to countless people facing a cancer diagnosis. Every single one of them impressed me with their drive to fight. My mom is no different. She's the strongest woman I know, facing a lifetime of health problems and heartache. If anyone can beat this disease, it's my mom.

Of course when we hear the word cancer, our first thought is death. But like I said, after talking with patients and survivors and doctors; cancer is not a death sentence any more. I'm sharing this story because I believe there is strength in numbers. The more people who pray, send good vibes, and positive energy; all the better.

No doubt this road will be a difficult one, but my mom has a loving husband of nearly 42 years by her side. She has two sons and daughters-in-law who love her, and five grand kids who adore her to the moon and back. Of course there's lots of other family and friends and now hopefully you sending your positive energy our way.

This is also the reason I've picked the American Cancer Society as my charity of choice for sales from the Kevin HunsBurger at CrossRoads Coffee Company in Carterville. The burger is $10 and two bucks goes to the ACS. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for the support.

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